[IanFromHKG]

VintageKrug – 07/02/2013 16:49 GMT : The old AA seat is dreadful, but if you can get on the new 777-300ER then it will be a superb experience, though naturally the lounges and onboard experience will be of variable quality.

But of course you can use the BA lounges anyway, if you prefer them (and in LHR T3 I will say that I prefer the BA F lounge over both AA and CX’s offering) as oneworld premium passengers are permitted to use any oneworld lounge of the relevant class (i.e. business or first)regardless of frequent flier status

As to the onboard experience – my own limited experience has been that AA’s onboard service was perfectly adequate and comparable to BA on the transatlantic route. Given the significant advantage of the new AA seat over BA;s CW I would say it was worth a trial – but please give us a trip report to tell us whether or not I am correct in this assumption!

[Vertrek]

Delta can keep you away from LHR.

But you need to route via Amsterdam or Paris instead, and as DL operate a huge amount of flight from AMS and CDG, you can pick any US city as your transit points. I suggest routing via Detroit or Atlanta as DL has a very nice SkyClub in the 2 airports, and I believe all AMS-DTW flights are fitted with fully flat “J”.

Having said that, most of DL flight out of AMS to USA are equipped with fully flat seat in “J” and if you booked it via delta.com it will show you whether the business class is fully flat or lie flat. B777 will have “VS” style seat while B767 will have “LX” style seat. Avoid DL A330 at all cost as it offer a lie flat seat.

Also, when you are flying Delta and AF/KLM + AZ intercontinentally, you will be entitled for free check-in luggage for all DL domestic flight during your stay in USA, keep your boarding pass with you. =)

let us know your decision.

edited to add:
These are the links for their seat.

http://www.delta.com/content/www/en_US/traveling-with-us/in-flight-services/products/seating/business-elite-seating/flat-bed-seating.html

[AllOverTheGaff]

Hi Vertrek

Thanks so much, I hadn’t even considered Delta, but here I am still planning away. I’ve re-read what you said about lie-flats but according to Delta’s website (which I have to say isn’t the best) there’s a couple of legs on my journey not lie flat, and they are fairly long legs too. But I am going to call them (in 10 mins) and run through my requirements as they are over £1K cheaper than AA.

What I’ve got thus far:
United £3918.00 with 58 hours 33 total travel time
AA £3277.00 with 61 hours 10 total travel time
Delta £2219.00 with 67 hours 54 travel time

10 hours more travel time for £1000.00 saving…..the reality is I get home to my abode some 5 hours later on the return leg which is the killer as I’m coming back to Scotland from Sao Paulo. Best travel time home is 21hrs 35 minutes which also gives me the day in New York which is very handy….this one is with the United option, however, the United seat is not all that – it IS lie flat but very small and not particularly comfortable.

More investigation required! At the risk of getting into more trouble, I did ask BA to give me an option too just to bench mark but they wanted to fly me from Austin to Madrid then Madrid to Sao Paulo…..so I didn’t bother pricing that one!

Regards.
AOTG.

[VintageKrug]

How strange, as when I checked, BA wanted £3489 for a routing via DFW on AA, outbound departing 0930 and into Austin by 10pm with a very satisfactory return departing 5pm and home in Edinburgh for lunch the next day.

Delta looks inexpensive, but it’s a VERY long journey time; it will be interesting to see what parts of the journey are longhaul as domestic shorthaul can be quite unpleasant on longer sectors, even in Dom F.

[AllOverTheGaff]

Hi VK

I don’t think you are inputting the correct information: I tried BA twice to make sure.

Leg 1 – EDI – AUS
Leg 2 AUS – GRU
Leg 3 GRU – EDI

BA wanted to take me from Austin to Madrid then to Sao Paulo, they had no other option, hence I didn’t progress with them – to be fair I was only looking because of their ‘sale’. Their flight times, should I have chosen them would have been worse.

Regards.
AOTG.

[AllOverTheGaff]

SeatGuru to the rescue after internet-chatting with Delta who couldn’t answer my questions about lie-flats….*sigh*. “Maybe you should call our reservations line on 1-888….”

Delta is so cheap because it is non-lie-flat on both transatlantic routes, not good. AA is lie-flat on all but GRU – JFK……which is a day flight so I’d not be sleeping, but I’m back on there now seeing if there’s another option.

@Canuklad – I’ve not yet tried Aer Lingus but will once I’ve sussed out AA, but the Sao Paulo leg might throw it a bit of a wobbler.

@VK – I did price BA – Just over £13K in Club! 😉

Rgds.
AOTG.

[Vertrek]

Hi Gaff,

if you are at Delta’s booking page, they have lots of symbols at the bottom of the box for flight information; a flat-bed is indicated by a picture of a bed in stead of chair. I am sure that you are aware, the thing with DL is that they sell seat on AF and KLM too and both EU carrier don’t have a fully flat seat in “J” yet, however it is set to change this summer.

If you want to have 100% flat bed with DL I suggest, to route via LHR in stead as I did that a couple of times. if you are connecting from EDI and want to stay in the terminal, the SkyTeam lounge at T4 will not disappoint you! I just checked the pricing and it starts at £2529 for May with only 1 stop either ATL or JFK (pick ATL). =)

regards

[AllOverTheGaff]

Hi Again Vertrek

Good advice but for one problem! Delta won’t fly me from Edinburgh to Heathrow other than with KLM via Amsterdam – I’m trying all ways to do it but it just won’t work.

I am very tempted to go with the AA option…..albeit both transatlantic flights seem to be with BA.

Regards.
AOTG.

[Vertrek]

Hi,

Yes, you’ll need to travel with BA down to LHR or the new VS service. 🙂
I guess your best bet is to fly with BA via LHR. Make sure you are not in AA metal as it will be angled.

I reside in Amsterdam, so sometime I hop to LHR with KLM and interline my luggage in AMS to DL metal just to catch a flat bed “J”. Perhaps when VS and DL is official, it would be easier to catch DL from EDI, although by then both AF and KLM will have flat “J”. But yea, do let us know and have a good trip-planning. =)

Regards,
V

[canucklad]

If you’re thinking Delta, I would check them out ex Dublin….again pre-clearance benefits and if you can be bothered with flying EDI-DUB as a one off leg, you will save a bundle on your APD…

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